Datid abram shank



(No Model.)

D. A. SHANK.

HAY FORK.

No. 573,709. Patented Dec. 22, 1896;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID ABRAM SHANK, OF VERSAILLES, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO A. L. ROSS, OF SAME PLACE.

HAY-FORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,709, dated December 22, 1896.

Application filed September 14, 1896- Serial No. 605,817. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern..-

' Be it known that 1, DAVID ABRAM SHANK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Versailles, Morgan county, Missouri, have invented an Improvement in Double-Harpoon Clover-Hay Forks, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a side view of the entire fork ready for use. Fig. 2 is a view of the entire fork in the act of being loaded. Fig. 3 shows the single trip-arm, the dogs, rods, the spiral spring, and the manner of connecting said several parts. Fig. 4 is a section of the frame A A, showing notches g, which are the same on each side of said frame. Fig. 5 is a vertical view of the double cross-bar B.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The fork consists, essentially, of three principal partsviz., the upper frame A A, the outer frame, consisting of the posts B B and the double cross-bar B, and the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, consisting of the trip-arm, spring, dogs, and rods. The upper frame A A and the harpoons Z Z work vertically in the outer frame, as in my original invention. 0 0 are slots in the harpoons Z Z, which work over the stationary bolts 2' 4; in the posts B B and serve to hold the harpoons in place.

This improvement, for which invention and originality are herein claim ed, consists of the double cross-bar B, the notches g g and h h in the frame A A, and the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, all of which is hereinafter more fully described. The cross-bar B is double, consisting of two horizontal bars of strapiron with intervening space. The notches in A A are designated by g g and h h. 7.; are the dogs working in those notches.

F is the trip-arm.

(1 cl are the rods attached to the dogs and to the trip-arm.

R is the rope or wire attached to the triparm F.

S is the aperture in one of the rods through which the rope R passes.

a is the spiral spring, used to operate the trip-arm F, and is kept in place by and works upon the rod e. The lower end of the rod e works on a bolt passing through the cross-bar B and its upper end passes through an aperture near the upper end of the trip-arm.

The dogs is k, the rods 01 d, the trip-arm F, and the rod 6, carrying the spiral spring 47.,

(all shown in Fig. 3,) are placed within the open space in the cross-bar B and are attached as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The dogs work on the bolts t t, passing through both sides of the cross-bar. The lower end of the trip-arm F works within the cross-bar on the bolt '10, passing through the cross-bar. The bolts 25 t and w are more perfectly shown in Fig. 5. The rods dd are attached to the dogs 70 it by the bolts .1 a: and to the trip-arm by the bolts y y.

The fork is operated as follows: As seen in Fig. 1, it is pressed down into the hay. I-Iandpressure is then applied to the trip-arm and motion is thereby communicated to the rods and dogs, and the dogs are thereby thrown out of the notches h h, and the harpoons Z Z descend, throwing the prongs or tines Z Z out through the openings m m into the hay. The spring at throws the trip-arm back as soon as the pressure of the hand is removed, causing the dogs to enter the upper notches g g as soon as the upper frame descends suffi ciently, and the fork is loaded and locked. It is then hoisted into the hay-mow or onto the stack by means of the hoisting-rope, attached at P. It is unloaded by pulling on the trip-rope R, which removes the dogs from the notches g g. Immediately the outer frame descends till the lower notches h h are caught by the dogs 7.; 7c, and the fork is unloaded.

The aforesaid improvement supplies the place of the double trip-arms, shuttles, and springs forming a part of my said original invention and greatly simplifies the mechanism of the fork and its operation.

What I claim as my invention and as an improvement in double-harpoon hay-forks, and especially upon my Patent No. 499,258, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a hay-fork, the combination of the opposite posts, harpoons-provided with notches working therein, a double cross-bar connecting said posts, a spring-pressed trip-arm pivoted between said cross-bars, dogs pivoted between said cross-bars, and rods connecting said trip-arm and pivoted dogs, whereby the dogs are thrown into and out of connection with said notches when said trip-arm is actuated, substantially as described.

DAVID ABRAM SI-IANK.

Witnesses:

D. W. EATON, R. M. Ross. 

